Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams was born on February 20 1902. He was born to Charles Hitchcock Adams and Olive Bray Adams. He was born in San Francisco, California. He lived next to the sand dunes of the Golden Gate Bridge. His grandfather was a very wealthy man. Ansel was an only child so he spent a lot of his time out in nature. A reason why he was an only child is because when he was born his mother was already forty years old. Ansel’s mother Olive was not supportive or encouraging of her son. His father Charles was quite the opposite of his mother. He encouraged and supported his son in almost everything that he did. This helped Ansel boost his self confidence.

Ansel Adams once told someone that he thought he might be hyperactive and have dyslexia. He thought this because he could never really concentrate on one thing and he never really did well in school. He attended many different schools but he never was too successful in them. Ansel’s home life was not easy because of his grades. His father and aunt would torture him at home. He received a diploma the he called the “legitimizing diploma.” This was about what an eighth grade diploma is.

In Ansel Adam’s childhood an important thing that he did that he did not know would help him in the long run was that he would take long nature walks in the dunes below the Golden Gate. He would walk down to Bakers Beach and look at the nature around him. By being an only child he was able to spend his time in nature and not have to worry about anyone but himself.

Ansel Adams was always creative but he did not start out in photography. He started out with the piano. When he was twelve he taught himself how to read and play the piano. After a while his parents signed him up for lessons. Playing the piano became his life. He only focused on playing it. He was intending on becoming a professional player. He later gave up the piano because he started photography.  

Ansel’s love for nature came from where he lived. His favorite place to take pictures was in Yosemite. He took pictures here from 1916 until he died. His first camera was a Kodak No. 1 Box Brownie. His parents gave him this camera at a young age. He was about fifteen or sixteen. When he was seventeen he joined the Sierra Club. This club was a photography club that took pictures in Yosemite. He became an environmentalist because of this club. He became friends with many of the people in the club and he even met his wife in the club. The Sierra Club was very important to his success as a photographer. His first published photos and writings appeared in the club’s 1922 bulletin.

1927 was Ansel Adams biggest year as a photographer. He took his most famous picture in this year. He took the picture of the Face of Half Dome. He also did a couple of other things. He became good friends with Albert M. Bender. Albert was a San Francisco insurance industrialist and patron of arts and artists. They became friends the day after they met. Albert started the preparation and publicity of Ansel’s first portfolio. Being friends with him changed his life.

Ansel Adams lived his life taking pictures of nature and preserving it at the same time. Ansel died in 1985 of old age. He was one of the best nature photographers in my mind and I really enjoy his pictures and seeing things that maybe will help me with taking pictures of nature in the future.  

This picture is one of Ansel Adams most famous pictures. This is of the Face of Half Dome in Yosemite.  

This is another shot that Ansel Adams took in Yosemite. This is of a lake and a bridge going over it and Half Dome in the background.

This shot was taken I believe of the bay near were Ansel grew up. It has the water, the cliffs and the waves crashing against it.